Wimbledon 2018: Karolina Pliskova beats Victoria Azarenka to reach third round for first time
ByReuters
Updated 04/07/2018 at 19:06 GMT
Seventh seed Karolina Pliskova won a battle of former world number ones as she beat Victoria Azarenka 6-3 6-3 to reach the third round at Wimbledon for the first time on Wednesday.
Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic celebrates her victory over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus after their Ladies' Singles second round match on day three of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
Image credit: Getty Images
Big-serving Czech Pliskova reached the top of the rankings a year ago at Wimbledon despite losing in the second round -- the fifth year in succession she had lasted only two matches.
From the moment Azarenka dropped serve with a loose error in the third game, Pliskova always looked likely to break that sequence against the Belarussian who is still trying to rediscover her past form after returning from having a baby.
Azarenka tried to fire herself up when she resisted some pressure to hold serve at the start of the second set.
But Pliskova broke for a 5-3 lead and was then helped by two Azarenka double faults that brought groans from the sedate crowd who had been hoping for something more exciting.
"I think I was pretty solid today, I think I was really strong on my serve which was really important," the 26-year-old Pliskova said after walking off court.
"Very happy with my victory as it is the first time I am in the third round here. The last few years I was waiting for a good result and it still didn't come, maybe this year is the time; I am feeling great."
She will play Romanian 28th seed Mihaela Buzarnescu next.
Women's singles results
- Ekaterina Makarova defeats No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
- No. 7 Karolina Pliskova defeats Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-3
- No. 9 Venus Williams defeats Alexandra Gulgheru 4-6, 6-0, 6-1
- No. 10 Madison Keys defeats Luksika Kumkhum 6-4, 6-3
- No. 13 Julia Goerges defeats Vera Lapko 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
- No. 20 Kiki Bertens defeats Anna Blinkova 6-4, 6-0
- No. 25 Serena Williams defeats Viktoriya Tomova 6-1, 6-4
- No. 29 Mihaela Buzarnescu defeats Katie Swan 6-0, 6-3
- Lucie Safarova defeats No. 32 Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 6-4
- Donna Vekic defeats Rebecca Peterson 7-5, 6-4
- Evgeniya Rodina defeats Sorana Cirstea 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
- Yanina Wickmayer defeats Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 6-3
- Camila Giorgi defeats Madison Brengle 6-4, 6-4
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